3 Manufacturing Marketing Ideas That Will Shock Your Boss

It's common for manufacturing companies to get their business through loyal customers and word of mouth, but if you're not marketing, you're missing out on massive business potential. And if you work in marketing for a manufacturing company, it might be time for some fresh ideas.

Even if most of your client base came to you from referrals and existing customers, you can bring in quality leads through targeted, specific marketing. Here are three manufacturing marketing ideas to impress your boss and boost your business:

1. Analyze Your Audience

You could have the most beautiful manufacturing website in the world with an engaging, high-quality blog and still not bring in much business. Marketing material without a plan doesn't have legs; you need to know where, how and when you're going to share that content, and who you want to share it with.

If you know the audience you want to target, then your marketing efforts are going to be that much more focused and effective.

Part of this starts with you knowing your ideal client profile. Who are you hoping to sell to? How much would they buy? If you had to create a few personas of your ideal buyer, who would they be? Narrowing down those details are going to make it easier to create marketing materials, online content and campaigns geared at the people you hope to attract to your business.

This is why gathering data on your clientele is so effective. You have an idea of what your typical customer purchases, why they buy from you, where they are located, etc. That information is incredibly valuable when you're putting together a marketing plan. So if you haven't solidified those details yet, make that a priority to help guide the rest of your decisions.

2. Showcase Products with Visual Storytelling

You know that a fantastic website and social media presence are important elements in successful marketing. But so is evolution and growth.

Mobile is massive, as are apps, video, and augmented reality for today's consumer. That's lucky for you, because the manufacturing industry can actually lend itself very well to visual storytelling. Describing the capabilities of an excavator isn't nearly as captivating as visual footage of that machine in action, especially for potential clients comparing different companies. You could also show factory tours, behind-the-scenes production videos and safety and how-to guides.

A multimedia approach also adds a fresh, professional edge to your business while giving you material for others to share on social media.

3. Humanize your Content

The manufacturing industry isn't known for having a warm, inviting feel in its marketing. Most manufacturing companies have similar cut-and-dry websites with corporate lingo. Something more conversational and personal stands out from the competition.

How do you do that? Share a little more about the human side of your company. For example, you could showcase charity events you're helping out with, spotlight your team members and share community news and events for your town. Sharing corporate news and covering industry topics is still important, but mixing it up with a lighter side offers a balance to your marketing approach.